Avalon's Grim Reapers
by Sweet Kagamine Kiss
Summary: Tragedy struck when two innocent children have met an untimely passing because of a reckless driver. In 1994, Hogwarts was hosting the Tri-Wizard Tournament when unexpected visitors arrive. One of them is the supposed missing Boy-Who-Lived...
1. Prologue

**Avalon's Grim Reapers**

**Disclaimer:** J.K Rowling is the owner of the world of Harry Potter and all its official characters. Bloomsbury and Scholastic have ownership in terms of book publishing world-wide, and Warner Bros. on the movie adaptations of all seven Harry Potter books. Tite Kubo is the author of the popular manga/anime series and has complete ownership of all official Bleach characters.

**Author's Note:** Not only is it a somewhat HHr pairing, but it's also a Bleach-styled crossover. Now regarding the Bleach canon timeline, Ichigo has not yet discovered his Soul Reaper powers, nor has he and Rukia met for the first time. So that means Aizen is still around.

* * *

_The bell rang, signaling the end of primary school. Amongst the crowd of children rushing to their parents to go home, two children were together. A young boy and girl, both the age of six, one with messy black hair and large rounded glasses, and the other with bushy hair and carried a book with her..._

_"I think they didn't bother to wait for me, Hermione..."_

_"No worries, Harry. Mum and dad will take you with us. They can talk to your uncle and aunt."_

_The boy, named Harry, smiles shyly to his only friend in primary school. He was often bullied by his cousin Dudley and his friends, and the girl, Hermione, was always teased by the other girls because she was more interested in books instead of playing with dolls and such. They were loners at school, and in a way, they became friends and sought on one another's strengths._

_She grabbed his hand and pulled him as she ran. _

_"There! Mum and dad are here!"_

_"Okay, Hermione, I'm running!"_

_The two giggle as they run across the school yard over to the street, where across was Mr. and Mrs. Granger, smiling and waving to their daughter and her friend._

_HONK! HONK!_

_Harry and Hermione were crossing the street when that sound was heard, and turned to the source; a car that was going too fast in a school zone couldn't stop. Terrified screams fill the air as the car finally screeches to a halt, and the driver got out, a look of pure terror on his face. The parents of young Hermione ran to their daughter and her friend, as blood pooled around their heads. Another screech of tires signaled the reckless driver was fleeing the scene of an accident._

_"Someone dial 999! Hurry!"_

_The sounds of children crying is heard, having seen this tragedy unfold before their innocent eyes. Mr. Granger was holding his daughter's friend, who wasn't even breathing. Both adults knew CPR and they had taken lessons on basic life-saving techniques, and were trying all they could to save the two... but all they were doing is getting blood all over their hands._

_Their deaths were almost instantaneous._

_By the time paramedics and police have shown up, the two children were pronounced dead by medics..._

...

...

...

...

...

...

The air was a soft breeze, the clouds bright and a scatter in the blue skies. The trees sway gently in the wind, as two figures are lying on a steep grassy hill near a large crystal blue lake. The first person had dark hair in medium-length dreadlocks, and his eyes were as green as emeralds. The second person lying beside him had long curly honey brown hair, and beautiful brown eyes.

Both wore dark slacks, a buttoned white blouse and matching suit with red ties, and dark shoes with a light polished appearance. The male however has shoulder pauldron-like padding on his suit with a type of robe-like coattails; the girl had no coattails on her suit. Both adorn white ribbon sashes over their right arms. They have attached bronze badges with a Celtic cross held in the claw of a Griffin. The female only has two red stripes across her white ribbon sash. On their sides were two swords each in light gray sheathes.

"You were right, Harry, this is peaceful," the girl says.

A smile comes across the face of the green-eyed boy.

"See, Hermione? I know we got plenty of paperwork to do in the Seventh Division, but for once I want to get out and just relax, and not get early arthritis in my wrists."

"Yeah, but as Captain of the Seventh Division, you can't slack off. Merlin would likely reprimand us for late paperwork."

Harry sighed. "True..."

Hermione clings to her captain.

You see, the boy is named Harry Potter, and he has been "living" in a sense for 800 years. He is the Captain of Division Seven, Avalon's Battle Team and Patrol group. The girl with him is Hermione Granger, his Lieutenant of Division Seven, also "living" for 800 years. Physically they look like young teenagers roughly fourteen to sixteen. They were known prodigies in Avalon, having gone through the Academy of Camelot to become Grim Reapers. They also had immense power, as evident when they were found 800 years ago in a rural district of Avalon; they had Soul Cutters next to their bodies. Their power was so great, that when they had passed away and onto heaven, they had essentially gone back in time.

Now, for some light information: The Grim Reapers of Avalon's Central Capital City, are tasked in monitoring the World of the Living that spans all of the European countries and a small area of Asia not under the monitor of the Chinese Heaven. In the afterlife, one thing was a shared connection across all Heavens: each Soul Reaper/Grim Reaper/Shinigami/Death God is armed with a weapon known as a Soul Cutter (or to the Japanese and Chinese, a Zanpakutō). It is a tool to purify dark spirits known as Hollows, and to send departed souls to the afterlife via Soul Burial before the Chain of Fate erodes and they become Hollows.

The two teenagers in this peaceful field had their eyes closed, attempting to rest and enjoy the peace and quiet, when a shadow can be felt with displaced air ruffling their hair. The couple opens their eyes. It was a woman of Indian origin, wearing her country's clothing under the mage robes. Her eyes were bright blue, purple eye shadow, and a transparent face mask made of silk secured by gold jewelry. The red mark on her forehead was as bright as ever. The brown-skinned beauty smiles, ruby red lips pursed and plump. She was Captain Aina of Division Two. Division Two were the Assassins Guild group, which handled the grittier tasks regarding rogue Grim Reapers, traitors, war criminals, and counter-espionage.

"Captain Potter, Lieutenant Granger, the Head Captain requests your attention immediately."

The two were confused. Hermione then punches Harry in the shoulder.

"Harry, if we're in trouble for slacking on paperwork I so will not forgive you."

The two teenagers get up off the grass and dust any loose grass off their clothes.

Harry looks to his lieutenant. "Calm down, Hermione. It's not often we're called so something must be wrong. Captain Aina, is there a reason we're needed?"

"No. I was just asked to seek you two out. However you both were not at your division so I had to follow your spiritual presence to find you two."

The two eternal teens grab their Soul Cutters and they are sheathed at their hip.

"We're reporting in, Aina."

The two vanish in twin Flash Steps. Aina smiles to herself looking to the sky. "This place really is peaceful..." She vanishes in a Flash Step, returning back to her guild in the northern downtown of Central Capital.

=0=0=0=

They were in constructed bodies to house their souls while in the World of the Living. Another name would be Gigai in Japanese. They wore sneakers, dark jeans, shirts, and thick gray hoodies with the hoods pulled up to conceal their faces partially. Harry rushed right in under a Death Eater, surprising the masked attacker.

_Soul Force!_ Harry thought, not wanting to verbally call out his technique.

The closed-palm strike Harry unleashed struck at the enemy's body, piercing through and attacking the evil wizard's soul. As a result, such a strike did more damage than a normal closed-palm strike. The body of said Death Eater flies, temporarily stopping the others from their terrorizing as the flying body painfully impacts one of the tall wooden poles in the sea of damaged, destroyed, or abandoned tents. The sickening crack heard signaled the man's spine broke under the impact.

_"Captain Potter, Lieutenant Granger, I have an important mission for you to perform and it takes place in the World of the Living."_

_In the main castle's tower overlooking Central Capital, there was a man garb in heavy clothing and robes depicting him of a powerful warrior. He is known as Merlin, the Head Captain of Avalon's Grim Reaper Association, the English version of the Gotei Thirteen in Japan. The fabled sword that is known as Excalibur was hung on the wall behind his chair, and casually laying against a corner of the wall behind his large grandiose desk was a tall wooden staff with a large gnarled head encompassing a quartz crystal sphere._

_"Yes, Sir Merlin, what is this mission?" Harry reports, both he and Hermione on one knee before Merlin._

_"It has to deal with some reports that we have received from Soul Society, about a man who dares to achieve a form of cursed immortality. Tell me, how familiar are you with the cursed word known as Horcruxes?"_

"KILL THAT BRAT!" one of the masked Death Eaters yells.

Before any Killing Curses or dark curses can be unleashed, Harry's lieutenant sped through them with quick Flash Steps, cutting them down at their legs. Only three of the Death Eaters were smart enough to try and avoid. However that left them at the mercy of Harry's sword cleaving down.

_"Merlin, sir, Horcruxes are a forbidden Class S Offense with the perpetrator mostly sentenced into Hell for playing with forces darker than anything in all creation," answered Hermione._

_"Correct. Those abominations known as Horcruxes... they are a thorn in the sides of us Grim Reapers for centuries. The few living magicals that have created even one have mostly blackened their souls, guaranteeing an afterlife in Hell's depths. However, for so long we have never heard of such a bad case as this one. A mortal wizard has gone beyond the limits of Horcrux creation. You see, a mortal wizard by the name Tom Riddle has created multiple Horcruxes. With each split of his mortal soul, he has become more and more in tune to the forces of darkness."_

_"Sir, if such an evil man can be declared a major threat to Avalon, why not just send the Assassins after him?"_

_Merlin opens his eyes, looking down at Harry._

_"Young Potter, as you know you and Granger died in a tragic death at the hands of a reckless driver in the World of the Living. You both know of your deaths, considering how powerful you two were when you arrived here in Avalon. However, in a sense, your death Potter is what had Soul Society detect the lingering spirit of the man in a Demi-Hollow status, but not earthbound in place. You were an unintended Horcrux to Tom Riddle when your parents were murdered, and your death on that day technically took place. The Horcrux is what bound you to a body, but when you and by extension, Lieutenant Granger died, you were freed. It was that horrible tragedy that the Horcrux in your former mortal body was destroyed upon your death and was absorbed into Hell's gates. The backlash of its destruction damaged the once spiritual form of Riddle, and when that happened Soul Society learned of his existence. Now, he has left their jurisdiction, returning to Europe. Thus, he is now OUR responsibility."_

_"What is the mission, sir?" asks Hermione._

Aurors arrived as the Dark Mark hung over the location of the Quidditch World Cup Finals. The hurt Death Eaters still managed to get away except for the one man left behind with the broken spine. Harry and Hermione have Flash Stepped away before they could be discovered by the mortal wizards. They appear far away, overlooking the place on a hill near a forest clearing.

"We hunt down Riddle's Horcruxes, and establish our base at Hogwarts where the Dark Lord's minions have an attention on their little magic tournament that was revived. Sure, that doesn't sound like a hard mission to do."

Hermione glances to her captain. "Harry, if we're not careful, we'll expose ourselves. These wizards can never know that Grim Reapers exist and that the afterlife is... well... they'd either try and covet our powers and seek to use us to further their own agenda, they'd fear us and attempt to destroy us in their racial ignorance and hate of the unknown, or they'd try to do both."

"I know, Hermione."

There were a lot of crazy things that Sir Merlin had told Harry about his mortal life before it was cut short. Another thing that sucked was these prophecies the wizards are so fond of collecting. One was made that involved him and Tom Riddle. Of course, it likely was a fake just like the many prophecies that came into exist for hundreds of years.

"Still..."

Harry gave Hermione a quick hug, calming his lieutenant. "We'll be fine, Mione. We're not in this alone. Sir Merlin told us that we'll be receiving help from Soul Society because this is a jointed investigation. I have a plan regardless. Kay?"

Hermione nods.

"I trust you, Harry."

Harry smiles fondly. "Just as I trust you, Hermione..."

This felt like a romantic scene right now. They were about to kiss...

"I hear voices over here. This way," they heard a male speak up from the distance.

The two reapers vanish in displaced gusts of wind before any investigating Aurors would discover them as they canvas the surrounding area of the Quidditch World Cup location.

* * *

**A small taste of what could be an interesting plot if I don't screw this one up.**

**Yes, their deaths was... dark... but imagine the chaos when Harry and Hermione arrive at Hogwarts. Of course I got a surprise guest from the Bleach side of the universe who will also be part of this little adventure. You'd just have to guess who it is and no it is not Ichigo Kurosaki.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Avalon's Grim Reapers**

**Disclaimer:** J.K Rowling is the owner of the world of Harry Potter and all its official characters. Bloomsbury and Scholastic have ownership in terms of book publishing world-wide, and Warner Bros. on the movie adaptations of all seven Harry Potter books. Tite Kubo is the author of the popular manga/anime series and has complete ownership of all official Bleach characters.

**Author's Note:** Well... the next chapter. Not many got the guess right but all of them were really great suggestions. However, I think people will like who I used to join Harry and Hermione in this story. So enjoy.

* * *

"Death can be so strange, sometimes..."

Hermione was playing a bit with her breakfast, while Harry had just taken a sip of his coffee.

"Hm?"

"Harry, we died in the 1980s, and we both held so much power, great potential we broke the streams and ended up in the past of Avalon. And yet I just feel like this is pure irony, being back in the World of the Living in the 1990s. All the times we've gone into the World of the Living, it was in the far past, and we've basically seen history breeze on by all those times taking care of Hollows, sending departed souls off to heaven. I know I shouldn't be talking about this since we've both accepted this fact seven hundred years ago..."

"Don't play with your food, lieutenant," Harry says with a cockamamie smirk.

Hermione huffed a bit. "Shut up." But she takes a healthy bite of her scrambled eggs.

"Yeah, I'd imagine how crazy it can be. Could have been worse, though, Hermione."

"Oh? How?" she asks.

"We could have ended up further in the past and be much older today and out of place, or somehow ended up in another area of heaven. Can you imagine us having a Japanese afterlife?"

A small smile appears on Hermione's face.

"The two of us speaking Japanese? Funny..."

"Then again, we all know different languages, and Japanese is one of them."

They finish with their breakfast at the small pub they went to, paid their tab and were heading out the door when the two felt a disturbing force in the air. Hollows...

"Well, what a way to start the day, eh, Hermione?"

She grins, as the air around their waists shimmer a bit, revealing their Soul Cutters before the illusion is put back in place. The two yank their hoods up and start running down the street weaving past the morning commuters to get to the source of the Hollow that appeared. They even amazed a family of redheads by jumping over their heads in a synchronized single forward flip.

Around the corner they go, the presence of the Hollow getting stronger and stronger. "Boy, this will not go so well."

"Soul Badge ready, captain."

Harry nods, taking his out. Slamming the badges against their chests their souls exit from their faux bodies, the AIs in the badges taking control of their faux bodies while they zoom across the skies towards the Hollow.

"Sheesh, that's an ugly Hollow."

"Wait, I recognize that Hollow! That's Viscera!"

"What? Viscera from Japan?"

"This Hollow is a very dangerous one, captain!"

"Damn!"

They draw their blades and surprise the Hollow with twin cuts running down his back and leap back, landing in the air above the water. The Hollow snarls angrily and in pain, turning around to glare at whoever dares attack him. Then he curses. "Damn! Shinigami!"

The hollow known as Viscera was a tall muscle-thick creature of darkness, with a oddly heart-shaped face and bone mask with spikes jutting out around the mask, and ad a wild pronged mane from the neck. It only has one eye hole depicted on the left of the face, the right a false one that was a detailed paint. It has thick fingers, four digits rather than a human's five digits, tipped with serrated claw plates extending past the wrist which is also donned with blood red fur. The body overall was like a monstrous gorilla. The hollow's hole went right through its meaty neck.

"Close. Doesn't matter though, Viscera. You're a dangerous Hollow that must be destroyed. Can't imagine why the Japanese reapers have such trouble eliminating you."

The hollow laughs.

"Foolish bastards, I will never be defeated by you disgusting reapers!"

Blood-red energy blobs grow from its back, moving up along the row of white spikes that line the spinal area, before floating off. They turned a viscous grey color and grow beaks and a single bloodshot yellow eye. The beaks open with shrieks, revealing rows and rows of small spinning teeth as they shoot towards them.

Harry and Hermione dodge the flying projectiles, but they kept coming at them.

"Way of Destruction #36: Ignis Rubrum Fluito!"

The captain and lieutenant unleash blasts of ruby red fireballs, destroying the shrieking bird-like slime projectiles. But Viscera appear behind them, cackling.

"Too slow!"

They barely dodge his meaty clothesline attack, appearing away from him. It now appears Viscera was capable of air walking like them. Harry brings his sword in a ready form, before dashing at him. But more of those things secrete from his skin and flew before Viscera, glowing white. He dodges the explosions set off, lifting his blade up to block the serrated claws of the Hollow's hand slamming down. Hermione saw the opening, and a deep cut mars Viscera's right side as the Hollow cried out in pain. Another Ignis Rubrum Fluito twin cast strikes Viscera in the chest blasting him away and falling towards the side of the bridge, startling many humans that were using the bridge to cross the river.

"Shit, we need to be careful, Hermione," Harry tells his lieutenant, repositioning his glasses.

"I hear ya, captain!"

Viscera roars, boosting off from the bridge damaging part of its structure and flies at them, claws glowing red. They dodge the speed attack. Hermione put her hands before her, the right hand up in the stop motion, but the left hand flat against the palm, from the side forming an L shape.

"Respecting Hands Cleanse the Water, Graceful Beauty Dance the Twilight, Chains Bind the Chaos Burn, Let Forth the Rage, and Bottle the Paths. Way of Binding #22: Exagoni-Virgam Levibusque Carcer!"

Viscera was trapped by a Star of David-like rune splitting the midsection, freezing his movements. He was screaming obscenities at them as rods of golden light explode from the pattern, forming a hexagon-shaped prison, with four extra rods at directional corners forming an X shape through his body again, also trapping the arms.

Hermione chuckled. "I think the Japanese are a bit slow in capturing you in this manner, Viscera."

"You little fucks will not get away with this," the hollow spits out with hate in his voice.

Harry raised his weapon. "I beg to differ, Viscera. Graceful Wind Surge and Holy Phoenix Scream, Heavenly Light Shine and Great Beauty Strike, Blessed Green Princess!"

Harry's Soul Cutter transforms into a large beautiful scythe-type weapon. The blade was ironically the shape and make of a Chinese scimitar with green highlights and flower-like patterns along the blade with silver edges. Along a back section of the blade were the wings of a bird that grows from the sphere of amethyst crystal as smooth as a marble, sparkling green with silver and pink tips. The pole was tall and thick, as black as space with glowing green runic patterns of Celtic origin running down the weapon. It curved at the center in a bolt-shaped cut, and further down the pole flattens outward like a spring onion's end. Three golden bands with unknown runic writing etched on the rings are spaced evenly on the weapon's pole. At the bottom, twin horsetail red tassels are braided and shaped in a butterfly wing shape, with a short tail in the end.

With an executed Flash Step, Viscera was bisected from the waist, also destroying the binding placed on the Hollow. However, Harry swings seven more times before calling up Figure Six Hunter, forming a six-like pattern in his final swing that destroyed the hollow mask completely. Black blood was spilt from each attack. Harry steps back, resealing his First Awakening as a familiar heavy force permeates the air. They watched as the Hell Gate appeared, and they retreat further as they open and a sword impales through Viscera's remains, dragging his soul right into hell. The Hell Gate slams shut with an ominous sound, and promptly vanish.

"Huh... when was the last time we saw a Hell Gate together, Hermione?"

"Near the end of World War II when Hitler committed suicide and immediately became a powerful Vasto Lorde Hollow," she answers.

That battle was tough, but the Hollowfied Hitler was defeated by several Grim Reapers, they among them and witnessed the Hell Gate rise and take his evil soul away. Harry glances to the bridge where it showed some structural damage, and lots of commotion by arriving police officers.

"Let's get back to our bodies."

The two Flash Step away, quickly locating their bodies and enter, no human none the wiser as the two hooded teens slip out of the area. What a morning...

=0=0=0=

They two appear above, managing to break through into Diagon Alley where they walk down the cobblestone streets of the wizarding shopping alley. They weave through various students from Hogwarts getting supplies for whatever classes they were taking and the years they are in. A broom shop they walk by, hearing young wizarding children talk excitedly about some fancy-looking broom hung on the display. They were getting some looks from several parents as the two like water glide through the shopping crowds.

Of course they would look suspicious to the untrained eye: they still were wearing their hoodies with the prominent beak-designed hood. Give them armaments that deploy thin knife-like blades and you'd say they were modern-day assassins or something. They stop before a small shop with hundreds of sticks displayed at the shop windows, some in crafted and decorated boxes or plush pillows. A sign hung off the shop. Ollivander's Wand Shop.

Their destination...

"Ready, lieutenant?"

"Yeah. No human would discover the difference of the magic of our souls to the bodies," she whispers to her captain.

The couple enters the dusty shop, as shelves upon shelves are piled with various wizarding wands of different models, makes, and woods. The counter was devoid of the wand maker they were going to seek out to get them wands for their infiltration.

"Hello."

They spun and reacted without another thought. Ollivander's pained cries fill the shop as he holds his broken nose, broken by their fists hitting him.

"Don't sneak up on us," they say.

Ollivander groaned, grabbing his wand and casting a healing spell on his nose, the cartilage reforming and banishing the bit of blood that spurted from his no-longer broken nose.

"I've never had that happen to me before."

"We don't like being spooked. Half the time it means someone's trying to attack us."

Ollivander nods, walking around them and behind his counter. "So... I've never seen you two before. First Years?"

"Transfers from Salem in America," Harry answers, starting the cover story. "My friend and I are transfers to Hogwarts for this year. We are part of a program where we learn the magical history of Wizarding Britain, and a representative of Hogwarts, a girl named Sally-Ann Perks goes to America to learn the wizarding history there. It's just for a year. Cultural experience..."

"Ah, I see. Welcome to Europe," Ollivander greets them. "So, would you need a new wand?"

"Yes. When we came to England, we were attacked by some wizards dressed in black cloaks and wore bone masks. We escaped but our wands were destroyed. It will take too long to get them repaired by Wand Maker Gerald in New York. One Floo Call and Gerald had informed us of a Wand Maker here in England. You."

"Ah... I've heard of Gerald. You must have been his very last customers. He passed away last night."

Harry and Hermione were surprised.

"I see... the last week when we spoke to him he sounded healthy. Hmm... He must have been hiding it then. He always was a... interesting person. Passionate about his crafts..."

Ollivander laughs softly. "Yes, most wand makers are. Now, let us get started..."

"My name's Harry and this is my girlfriend, Hermione."

Ollivander smiles to the duo. "Nice to meet you both, and once again I welcome you to England. If you're going to Hogwarts for the cultural exchange, you'll need new wands since your last ones were destroyed you said. Which one of you will go first?"

Hermione went first, measured up the yin-yang and in some rather embarrassing spots such as her breast size. She had enough of the perverse magical measuring tape as it tried to measure the width of her hips suspiciously close to her... well... you know. But the wands piled until finally on her 23rd attempt, she found the wand that reacted well to her magic, a fountain of cerulean sparks spraying like the fizz of a shaken wine bottle. It was a Vinewood wand at 10¾ inches in length, with dragon heart string in it.

Ollivander was pleased, and then finally it was Harry's turn. Like Hermione, Harry too had enough of the tape when it tried to measure his penis size! Really? What the hell was that about? Thankfully it didn't like form a hand out of itself and unbuckled his jeans. Hermione was giggling off to the side while Ollivander was oblivious to what happened as his back was turned gathering many wands off their shelves. She stifles her quiet giggles at the glare from her captain, whose face turned neutral when Ollivander turned around.

Harry was a very tricky customer. The more wands tried, the more they got snatched before Harry could even do a flick. Until finally, the 100th wand selected was Holly, 11 inches, core of a phoenix feather. Nice and supple, the man told Harry who flicks it producing a fountain spray of emerald sparks.

"Amazing! Simply amazing match... of course it IS strange in itself," the man mutters as he gift-wraps the two chosen wands.

"Strange, Mr. Ollivander?"

"Yes, Miss Hermione. The wand your friend Harry has a brother wand. Why I recall it well. It was made of yew, 13½ inches in length, and its magical core was a phoenix feather. Both wands have two feathers that came from the same phoenix. And the destructive wand was yielded by the terrifying Dark Lord, Voldemort. A word of advice: the Dark Lord is gone, but his Death Eaters still like to cause trouble. The attacks they did at the Quidditch World Cup were the strongest they have done since their master had fallen to the missing Boy-Who-Lived in 1981."

Ollivander stares at Harry.

"That wand is the brother of the wand that killed Harry Potter's parents, and gave their surviving son a cursed scar... I'm quite interested to hear stories of what kind of excitement your wand sir will perform. I just pray that you never cross wands with its brother..."

The man leans back and smiles, his dark humor gone.

"For both wands, that will be twelve Galleons."

Hermione pays him twelve gold coins and they leave the shop. Where did the Galleons come from? Well, it seems that wizards always carry some form of money on them regardless of who they are. When Harry and Hermione stopped the Death Eater attack a week ago at the World Quidditch Cup Finals, they also pick-pocketed them, claiming their money as their own for some light spending...

The "transfer student from Hogwarts", Sally-Anne Perks, was really a spirit who had died mysteriously however her soul wasn't found in time and she had become a Hollow and vanished. But the cover story worked. They each have a wand to authenticate they were magical. Now the next step was to wait for their partners from Soul Society, and then on the date Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are to arrive at Hogwarts, make their unexpected and unannounced arrival.

=0=0=0=

The night air was quiet. To the humans it would be. But out here in the middle of nowhere, it speaks a different story entirely. Two teenagers were dashing and weaving through three hollows that were attacking them. There was a local town about a mile east, Ottery St Mary. The Hollows have appeared and were looking to feast on the humans in the town here in Devon, when Harry and Hermione had shown up after a long travel by Flash Step. They were able to make it just in time to prevent their attack, and were fighting them. The fast had started five minutes ago. And now three hollows became two: Hermione purified the bird-like Hollow with a combination Kido spell and her Soul Cutter.

"You bitch! You'll pay for that!" One of the hollows yelled, which was a cross between a wolf and a lizard that walked bipedal.

While Hermione was fighting the wolf lizard hybrid, Harry was dealing with the lumbering troll-like Hollow armed with rock-like spires jutting from its hands and forearms and using it like a bludgeoning/shredding tool.

RRRRRIIIIIIP!

"HEY! You ruined my mantle!" Harry's mantle was ripped by the sharp spines of the jagged rock from the Hollow's arm. "Way of Destruction #36: Ignis Rubrum Fluito!" The fireball attack strikes the hollow in the face making it cry out in pain by the surprise move. With a piercing stab, the mask was destroyed and the hollow purified.

The tail slices the air, releasing glowing spirit blades in all directions which Hermione and Harry dodge. Their final opponent lands on the ground, in a hunched position. It had created a crater in the dirt with his heavy weight. The tail sliced through some trees when it swayed in a wide arc.

"You killed my friends you idiots!"

"Screw you, hollow!" Hermione shouted back, prepping her sword.

Clawing at the ground, the wolf/lizard leaps up into the air, claws shining red with a familiar build-up. With a slash, the two barely dodge claw-shaped Ceros lacerating the night sky.

"Hadō #4: Byakurai."

Harry and Hermione see a bolt of white lightning streak past them and impale the hollow through the shoulder, blasting a chunk away into spiritual particles which disintegrate.

In a blur, a tall Shinigami with regal looks appear.

"We came here looking for you two Grim Reapers of Avalon, only to feel your spiritual pressures all the way out here."

"We?" Harry repeats.

"Ikorose."

SHHHINK!

A sword had impaled the hollow through the back of the skull and through the face of the wolf-like face. This glinting blade extends all the way to the ground, held by a man with silver hair and a fox-like smile. The blade vanished as the hollow is purified.

Harry and Hermione sheathe their swords and land on the ground, with the Shinigami following suit.

"Nice to meet you both," the man greets the two teens. "My name is Gin Ichimaru, Taichō of the Sanbantai."

"My name is Byakuya Kuchiki, Taichō of the Rokubantai."

"Welcome to Europe, Byakuya-san, and Gin-san. I'm Captain Harry Potter of Division Seven, and this is my Lieutenant, Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you both," she greets.

"Since we're all acquainted, I guess we should start making plans for our joint mission."

"We have been briefed of the cover story you were to give by a representative of Avalon to our Sōtaichō. I made some plans to add onto that. Where are you two staying at?" Byakuya asks them.

"We're staying at a luxury hotel in London. Top Floor, suite level," Harry answered.

Gin is amused. "Oooh, sounds like a fancy place."

"It has a nice view of London from the balcony," Harry tells Gin.

Hermione turns around, facing the direction of London. "Follow us, Shinigami-san."

She and Harry vanish, and Gin and Byakuya quickly follow the two Grim Reapers. They arrived, where Byakuya and Gin bring out Gigai and enter them. Harry and Hermione located their AI-controlled bodies and re-enter them before they head to the main lobby where Gin and Byakuya in their Gigai were waiting. After Harry informed the teller at the front desk the two men with them were their guardians with some clever use of identification, they were quickly allowed inside. Gin was amazed at the sights as they enter the suite floor.

"You were right. Amazing place this is."

"Of course. Now, we have special runes, or Kido, so that no ordinary human from the outside can hear any of our conversations, so we're free to discuss plans and alterations. Byakuya-san, what were you planning to add to our cover?"

Byakuya takes out several papers, official-looking documents.

"In the eyes of the mortals, you two are my charges, I your parental guardian. We know of this magical energy force, as the representative from Avalon has told us in a meeting. Gin here is your schooling tutor, who also for view of the public will teach you several of our Kido and mask them as magic spells for the wizards. After we have made our way into this Hogwarts place, we'll begin work on hunting down Tom Riddle's Horcruxes, destroy them, and then find the Demi-Hollow he has become and cast him into hell."

"Sir Merlin has told us everything about Tom Riddle's background. The wizards of Europe, a large majority, are too frightened to even speak his moniker he gave himself, Voldemort. He's tried to persecute a war against those that his pureblood supremacists declared as mudbloods. Until somehow, in some strange way in his tyrannical war, he couldn't kill me as an infant child; his magic rebounded off me and struck at his soul ending his mortal life. My human parents were murdered, but their souls apparently lost. But the man's unexpected death created an accidental Horcrux in my body, tethering my soul to it until our tragic accident that left us dead in 1986, and kicked us 800 years into Avalon's past flowing with high spiritual energy."

"So, you're able to recall your deaths? Interesting," said Gin.

"Most would like to forget how they died. But for some of us, we still recall how we died. But it doesn't bother us. Of course, it's kinda strange considering it's been eight years since our real world deaths... and here we are with many years of experience as Grim Reapers... Hermione and I call it an ironic twist."

They discussed about the plan and how they'll enter the school called Hogwarts located in Scotland. The talks lasted until midnight where they retired to bed. Byakuya and Gin each had their own bedroom, as the suite floor had five bedrooms. The master bedroom Harry and Hermione shared. Of course, with clever use of silencing wards, captain and lieutenant made love that night before drifting off to sleep. The rest of August went on by with Byakuya and Gin helping Harry and Hermione with hallow patrols, until they moved from London to Glasgow, Scotland. From there on September 1st and the following days, they scouted Hogwarts after Harry and Hermione led the two Shinigami to the supposed location that was hidden by the non-magical humans.

The day finally arrived when Hogwarts awaited the arrival of two schools of Bulgaria and France. From the skies, a large house-like chariot was carried by large winged horses, while from the lake that was near the fantastical-looking castle known as Hogwarts a large mast explodes from the water's surface. A large ship soon makes its arrival, sailing onto the shores. The four reapers watch this hidden from their views as the Hogwarts faculty and students greet the two rival schools.

Everyone enters the castle. The four were now in the clear to make their move. "No turning back now," Harry mutters, pulling up his hood. "Is everyone ready?"

Byakuya nods. "Hai."

Gin smiles. "Waiting to go, Captain Potter."

Hermione looks to her captain with a smile. "I'm ready to begin the mission, captain."

"Let's go," Harry gives the order.

In their Gigai, the four reapers begin their trek from the forests by the path that led to the wizard village Hogsmeade, and up to the castle gates.

=0=0=0=

Inside the Great Hall, students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang gave their "amazing entrances" to amaze Hogwarts. Many guys drool at the pretty girls from Beauxbatons, while some just stare at the imposing students of Durmstrang with their war-like entrance they did. Some, whom were avid Quidditch fans, only want to see Viktor Krum up close and hopefully get autographed signatures. Up on the taller table was the staff of Hogwarts. Some faces that we (and by we, I mean you the readers of Harry Potter fanfiction) know and have seen time and time again. Others were interesting to note. Two men were there on staff, a Misters Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Next to them was a scarred-looking man with a swirling magical eye, known as Alastor Moody.

You may be asking what Sirius is doing at Hogwarts with Remus. Well ever since the disappearance of Harry, things have not gone well and despite looking for the boy no magic on earth could find him. Then sometime in 1991 around the Christmas holiday, Peter Pettigrew was discovered quite on accident feeding in the kitchens starving for food and no longer liking being fed grassy crunchy animal pellets by Ron Weasley. Needless to say, Dumbledore hoping for a quick cuppa on his own discovered the man, stunned him, and one investigation later Sirius was freed and the rat locked away... until said rat escaped Azkaban a month later. Ever since then Sirius (and Remus after the two brothers united and gave manly hugs and apologies for distrusting one another) helped in the search for James and Lily's son.

As Moody took a swig from his hip flask, magic eye spinning about and looking everywhere with paranoia, the conversations and the noise level turned down as Dumbledore stands to make his speech. "Good evening, ladies, gentlemen, ghosts and most particularly honored guests," He said in the appropriate tone of announcing a great event, "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

With all the people from the different schools there, the Great Hall felt a little more crowded than usual, even though the students from the other schools only totaled about twenty. Still, it was easy to see who was who since their robes contrasted so highly against the black of the Hogwarts students.

"And now the moment has come." Dumbledore was smiling at the sea of expecting faces. "The Tri-Wizard Tournament is about to start and I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket, to clarify the procedure that we will be following this summer. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartimus Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There were polite smiles and applause as the two men stood up at the banquette table and took their bows towards the students.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore finished, "And they will be joining me, Professor Karkaroff, and Madam Maxine on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts. And now, the casket please, Mister Filch."

Filch, who was always a crabby bitter old man, was lurking unnoticed in the shadowy corners of the Great Hall, out of sight and out of mind for most students who were enjoying the anticipation. Just then, all eyes were on him as he approached Dumbledore and carrying a great wooden chest in his arms. The thing looked like it was carved by a great master craftsman from over a thousand years ago and encrusted it with jewels of rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and pearls. As Filch brought it forth, there was a murmur of wonderment of what was inside the box. There even a few in the great hall who stood on their chairs to see what it was that was going to be pulled out of the box.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore started again as Filch placed the wooden box on the staff table before him, "And they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced over the course of the next month and they will test the champions in different ways... magical prowess, daring, magical deduction, and of course their ability to cope with danger."

At the very wound of the word danger there was a very deafening silence that came over the crowd, almost as if everyone in the room had stopped breathing.

"As you know, three champions compete in this tournament," Dumbledore continued calmly, "one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Taking out his wand, Dumbledore tapped the wooden box called the casket three times. On the third tap, its lid had creaked open slowly like something out of an old horror movie. Dumbledore reached his old long fingers out and reached into it and pulled out a large, roughly carved wooden cup.

Ordinarily, it would have looked like something that would have made great firewood, but it showed its remarkable properties as it was filled to the brim with blue-white flames. The flames were such that they even began to drown out all the other soft yellow candle lights in the Great Hall. With the Goblet of Fire in hand, Dumbledore closed the lid of the casket and set the goblet onto the lid where there was a small flat place where it sat perfectly.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have only the next twenty-four hours to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. It will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete."

Whispers and murmurs start up.

Dumbledore clears his throat. "However, to ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line."

Cue the chatter from students all around.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obligated to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a magical and binding contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet. Now, I think it is time for-"

Five loud solid knocks on the great doors of the hall echo, silencing the entire room. As if by magic, the doors swing slowly open. Four strangers walk into the Great Hall as if they owned the place.

One of the men had white hair, and his eyes appear to be in tight squints, or were they closed? He walked with a confident stride, hands in his pockets. He wore a light mocha suit and slacks, a pressed cleaned red shirt and a yellow tie. His shoes were white and carried a polished gleam on the leather. The man next to him wore regal-looking clothing of Japanese origin, his dark hair done up in the style befitting him as a noble, with strange hair clips on one side of his head. His eyes were soft yet calculating, compassionate yet hardened with the edge of a warrior. He carried a katana on his side, sheathed in the sash around the waist.

The two before the men looked to be teenagers. They wore matching dark blue jeans, gray sneakers, and zipped up muggle hoodies that was a really dark gray (almost black) color with the hoods drawn up with a prominent beak-shaped design. On their backs Dumbledore and a few Professors recognized as backpacks muggle children use for their schools; smoke gray in color with red highlights here and there. The heads of the teens were tilted down a bit to further hide their faces from their view.

Dumbledore stands up from his throne-like chair he sits on, his voice in a controlled calming tone.

"Who are you?" He politely asks, but the voice also carried an edge of reason, subtly demanding them to reveal themselves for their unexpected interruption. The one on the right reaches up and pulls back the black hood.

Snape, Sirius, and Remus all choked on their drinks, as they and everyone else at the Staff Table stared in shock. Green eyes meet theirs, black hair in semi-styled dreads that were partially messy (possibly from wearing the hood up), and small rounded glasses that gave him an intellectual look. The hauntingly familiar but youthful face screamed James Potter in their minds.

"My name is Harry Potter. This is Hermione Granger."

The person next to him pulls back her hood, revealing long curly honey brown hair, and intelligent brown eyes. She was cute, with a beautiful smile when she gave them a polite smile.

Behind the two, Byakuya steps forward.

"I am their parental guardian. My name is Byakuya Kuchiki, of the noble Kuchiki Clan. I have raised these two when I found them wandering around Tokyo, dirty and wearing rags. They had been abandoned on the streets so my clan took them in, sheltered them, fed them, and educated them. I legally took them in and made myself parental guardian. I of course have all the legal papers to prove my authenticity."

The man with the silver (or was it white?) hair smiles even more, looking like a shrewd fox, his eyes in permanent squinting. How was he able to walk around with his eyes closed like that and not bump into everything?

"My name is Gin Ichimaru. I'm their tutor, full-time from the Shino Academy and part-time at Salem Institute. I'm something of a close friend to Kuchiki-san as we both live in the same prefecture as children. I know this is late, but my charges have been interested in seeing this part of the world so... we decided to fly here by mundane travel. We would like to enroll these two into your facility for the year, if it's not all that troublesome."

Whispers started to spread from the students of Hogwarts, with puzzled looks from their foreign guests. Harry and Hermione, as well as their Japanese partners Byakuya and Gin, were finally inside Hogwarts. Now, time to play the waiting game...

"Sir Merlin has told us everything about Tom Riddle's background. The wizards of Europe, a large majority, are too frightened to even speak his moniker he gave himself, Voldemort. He's tried to persecute a war against those that his pureblood supremacists declared as mudbloods. Until somehow, in some strange way in his tyrannical war, he couldn't kill me as an infant child; his magic rebounded off me and struck at his soul ending his mortal life. My human parents were murdered, but their souls apparently lost. But the man's unexpected death created an accidental Horcrux in my body, tethering my soul to it until our tragic accident that left us dead in 1986, and kicked us 800 years into Avalon's past flowing with high spiritual energy."

"So, you're able to recall your deaths? Interesting," said Gin.

"Most would like to forget how they died. But for some of us, we still recall how we died. But it doesn't bother us. Of course, it's kinda strange considering it's been eight years since our real world deaths... and here we are with many years of experience as Grim Reapers... Hermione and I call it an ironic twist."


	3. Chapter 2

**Avalon's Grim Reapers**

**Disclaimer:** J.K Rowling is the owner of the world of Harry Potter and all its official characters. Bloomsbury and Scholastic have ownership in terms of book publishing world-wide, and Warner Bros. on the movie adaptations of all seven Harry Potter books. Tite Kubo is the author of the popular manga/anime series and has complete ownership of all official Bleach characters.

**Author's Note:** Kinda changed the years when Harry and Hermione had gone back in time after their deaths. Makes it sound a bit better. Roughly, they have returned into the past in the late 1100s. So they have "lived" after death for about 800, roughly 808 years. Other than that, this next chapter... well some wishes have been granted.

* * *

Everybody was dismissed to head off to bed, while Byakuya, Gin, Harry, and Hermione were left behind in the Great Hall with the other professors of Hogwarts. In spirit form or in Gigai, Harry and Hermione as actual magic users transfigured four chairs for them, using their wands. A thousand years of wandless magic mastering would likely freak them out.

"So... going to speak or let a fly enter your mouth?" Harry questioned them.

Gin clicks his tongue at Harry. "Now, now, Harry, show some politeness. We ARE in a foreign school after all."

"Sorry, Gin-sensei," Harry apologized.

Gin looks from Harry to the assembled wizards and witches still at the table. He must look weird to them seeing as he was squinting his eyes like always.

"I guess before we can talk about how my charges can enter your school for this year, Byakuya has his thing to deal with."

The regal man just reaches into his inner robes and takes out a manila folder. With the interesting Kido used by Avalon, these documents would pass all sorts of forgery tests conducted by the humans in the Living World.

"These documents as just copies of the original documents left in my study back home in Japan. They still carry the same legal weight as the originals, proving my guardianship towards these two," he gestures to Harry and Hermione whom were having a quiet conversation in Italian.

Dumbledore had looked them over, carefully scanning his eyes across every word, every "hidden" line, and all other legal mumbo jumbo. However, the old man cannot find one thing in fault with the papers. After a few minutes of reading he looks up again, staring at the Japanese man.

"I see... you said you found them, Mister Potter and Miss Granger, in Japan?"

"Yes," Byakuya answered. "I recognized them as foreigners because of the clothes they wore when they were in an alley taking shelter from a heavy rain storm in 1986. Hermione lost her parents according to the girl and Harry told me he was abandoned by his relatives, claiming that he was the spawn of the devil. Naturally, I was angered that children as innocent as them could be discarded like trash. I and my clan took them into our care and gave them a place they can call a home. I originally raised them as brother and sister, but along the way they have gone past the boundary of brother and sister and pursued a romantic relationship together. I support them in whatever they do in life."

"Then Byakuya discovered they had magical talent so called me in as a favor I owed him years ago." Gin looks. "I am an expert practitioner of Japanese magic, so I taught them. The four of us have traveled the world, most of the time the three of us as Byakuya is the current head of his clan and thus has familiar duties to attend to."

Gin smiles to the two teens, pride filling his voice. "They are really good at their magical talent. We have been everywhere, except here, and when they read about Hogwarts, they have begged to let us take them here. We finally agreed, but we had to wait a bit because there were familiar disputes happening in the Kuchiki Home. When settled, we all arrived here to England where with some help from other wizards, were told where Hogwarts was at. And thus, here we are."

Gin was really good at spinning a tale, and adding to tales concocted by others. It helped build up their case (false as it was) for these wizards and witches.

Harry and Hermione have stopped with their conversation in Italian, and gaze at the adults.

"Shall our charges be properly enrolled in your school, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore?" Byakuya questions the man, waiting for the answer.

"I see nothing wrong with the documents you have given to me. They are genuine. Legally, you are guardian of our two new student transfers. However I would like to discuss with you later in the privacy of my office regarding Mr. Potter's familiar past, if possible?"

"I have nothing else to do tonight, Headmaster. Thank you."

"Cool, so we're here for a year of European Magic tutoring?"

"Looks like it, Harry," said Hermione, also beaming a smile.

"Excellent. Maybe it's a good idea to retire for the night. Do you have any guest quarters in your school, Headmaster?"

"Of course, Mr. Ichimaru, I'm sure Professor McGonagall would be glad to escort you to our guest quarters."

Minerva stands up and Harry and Hermione also get up, grabbing their backpacks off the floor next to their seats as they reformed back to what they normally were with a flick of their wands. Gin and Byakuya also stand, and Byakuya remains with Albus while Minerva escorts the two teenagers and Gin out of the Great Hall.

"I believe everyone else can retire for the evening," Dumbledore spoke, as he walks from the table. Byakuya follows the old wizard silently.

=0=0=0=

The fourth floor of the castle overlooks the Great Lake as it was called, where a giant squid was said to exist in its deep depths. The room they were at was big enough to accommodate four people with four separate bedrooms. The common room, or the living room, was lavishly decorated with neutral and warm colors. It gave a summery atmosphere. The curtains were made of the finest silks, same for the couches, large, puffy like clouds, and very plush as Gin sat down in the single couch and almost sank in with a relieved sigh. The bedrooms were checked out, and all the beds shared one common thing: it was fit for royalty. The bathroom was big with a showering facility and a gold-seated toilet that part of the main structure is crafted from marble and the rest molded of shiny porcelain.

The backpacks the teens wore were specially altered with magic to hold just about everything inside, a sort of pocket dimension. So everything from books, to their Soul Cutters/Zanpakutō was taken out, to the Motorola Modar Pulsar DynaTAC cellphone that was modified from the original to pass off as a mundane object running on magic (disguised communication device from Harry and Hermione to Avalon; also tracks Hollow appearances), to even clothes for all four individuals. Harry and Hermione took one bedroom and Gin took the one closest to the loo. Somewhere around midnight the teens were gone but Gin did not follow them. He was still waiting to speak with Byakuya whenever he returned from his discussion with the old wizard.

But eventually he got bored of waiting, and with a quick leave of his Gigai, goes off to explore the castle in his spirit form.

Elsewhere Harry appeared via the Soul Gateway (much like a Senkaimon; the gateway was made of old ancient-looking oak with a red cherry finish on the surface, and looking like something that one plucked out from an ancient castle during the renaissance era) at a residence in London. It was a familiar place, at least for the girl he was searching for. A few minutes of searching, and he found his lieutenant's spiritual signature. It was a familiar place for him as well.

"Well... finally came here, Hermione?"

"Yeah... it's been so many years, but for them, it's been eight. I just want to get through this so I can actually move on."

Walking up to Hermione, a gentle hand on the shoulder had her relax a bit, as she looks to her captain's face. She turned back to the happy family in the living room. The adults were spending quality time with their daughter, Hermione's younger sister.

"I almost forgot... you had a little sister."

Hermione smiles sadly. Her parents have made their peace on her passing eight years ago apparently. She was glad. Harry and Hermione were in their spirit forms, so the adults inside couldn't see them. They phased through the wall and into the living room. Mr. and Mrs. Granger, Harry recalled, were nice people to him when he and Hermione met two years ago.

Often, he found them a better family than his relatives. Of course he had seen them one last time, when they were murdered by a hit man contracted by a "shady person" from Italy; Vernon was dealing in things he couldn't pay off and his entire family paid it with their lives. He was in the Surrey area that night when they died, and had seen their souls turn into Hollows almost instantly. Their purification sent them into hell for whatever sins deemed them unable to enter heaven. Nor, did he ever WANT to know what sins the family committed...

"You okay, Hermione?"

"Yes, Harry... I'm happy that they have moved on. But I still miss them, you know."

A soft sniffle escapes her, and Harry pulls her into his arms. He looks to the fireplace, which was not lit and covered up. On the wall was a photograph. It was Hermione at age six, and then the only picture they had of him when they were five and he had once stayed over at the Grangers' residence. Side-by-side they hang there, with fake flowers on a string forming a small memorial place.

"You still protect them, Hermione... there are hollows that enjoy terrorizing innocent souls."

"I know, Harry."

He wipes away the tears that welled in her eyes, as they look back on the smiling mother and the laughing father as he was playing video games with their youngest daughter. It brought them to tearful smiles. The adults were occupied, but when Hermione's sister turns her head, the young girl's smile went away for a moment.

"Mum, dad, there's someone standing in the corner of the room."

The two teens realized that she had spiritual awareness.

"What do you mean, Miranda, dear?"

"There's a boy with green eyes and glasses and he's holding big sis in his arms. They're looking at us with tearful smiles," she answered.

Dan and Jenny look to one another, and to the empty spot where Miranda was pointing. Hermione and Harry look to one another, before flashing Miranda loving smiles and they vanish, leaving the poor girl slightly confused as to what she was seeing while her parents were checking her forehead if she had some sort of fever.

"She has spiritual awareness..."

Hermione smiled faintly. "Yeah..."

Harry led his lieutenant away from the neighborhood, escorting her back to Scotland, and to the school of Hogwarts. It was a quiet trek, as they race through the skies. Luckily, there were no Hollows that break into the World of the Living.

"Hey Harry?"

"Yeah?"

They stop, hovering over some train tracks near a stone/wood bridge.

"What happened to your mantle you tried to wear?"

Harry rolled his eyes. It WAS a good article of spirit cloth. "Thing got destroyed during that hollow attack in Devon, remember?"

Hermione blinked. "Oh, right... I forgot about that."

Harry shrugged. "Doesn't matter... I was told by Aaron that I look good wearing a mantle. All it does is become a target so I'm not wearing it again."

The Grim Reapers in their reaper/spirit forms looked really classy teenagers. The slacks, the suit, tie, everything. With the weapons, they look like well-dressed sword users. Of course each of the Thirteen Divisions of the Grim Reaper Association has their own manner of dress codes that is handled by each captain. Division Four for example were the SR&D Tech group and thus dressed in typical scientist outfits, clothes that revolved the science field. Division Three were the healers and medical-trained reapers and reflected the clothing although they all wore green wizard robes with the medical symbol emblazoned as badges on the chest area and the back to show this fact.

And Division Two were the Assassins, and thus were casual dressed; clothes of each reaper typically reflected the country they were born from, but all of them wore robes (fully secured or partly secured in important areas) over their clothing with defined hoods to conceal their identity, and add a level of badassery. When Harry became Captain of Division Seven, he opted for a change of uniform from the past one and it was well-favored by everyone in his unit ever since. They were often called "The Beautiful Class". Most of the guys looked handsome, regal, and noble-like; the girls elude serene beauty and tranquility with their female-made uniforms. Hermione as Lieutenant opted for the suit to match her lover Harry (even though his had coattails to signal his status as Captain).

"Wish it wasn't damaged... I could find a particular use for a mantle that involves being tied to the bed." Hermione flashed a perverted smile and Harry growls sexily at his lieutenant.

=0=0=0=

It's the morning after and Harry and Hermione enter the Great Hall, in their Gigai. Gin and Byakuya were already awake. They are the only adults in the Great Hall right now. Upon spying them, Gin walks over with two empty mugs he found in the school's kitchens, filled with coffee. The teens drank the warmth, savoring the caffeine. They weren't exactly morning risers, so most of the time they need coffee to wake up whether in Avalon or here in the World of the Living.

"So... where were you two last night?" Gin whispers to the two as they sit down at the Gryffindor Table.

"To see my parents and to get rid of this weight that held me back. They made peace with my death but it took me awhile. But now I have made peace with myself, so I feel renewed. I've wanted to see them one last time but work keeps me busy..."

Gin nods. "I understand, Hermione. You're lucky... I don't know much of my own past after my death, but I never let it bother me. I'm just glad to be... well... un-alive? Dead and alive?"

Harry snickered a bit, and even Hermione had a smile twitching.

"Well while you were travelling about in downtown London, I went exploring the castle after Byakuya left his meeting with the old man. I followed that Moody guy last night," Gin informs the two, "He was acting really suspicious and muttering to himself whilst scratching at his left arm. He sent a letter off using a raven. I had to be careful because all these ruddy owls seem to see my even in my spirit form. Didn't get a good look at the letter from my position but my eyes did catch your name written in it along with the name Voldemort."

"Really? That's interesting info, Gin. We should keep our eye on that man. For some reason, he doesn't just look right. His spiritual aura feels... tainted... evil... I doubt no other mortal wizard or witch can ever sense his spiritual aura so it means that man, Moody you called him, may be an imposter."

"Right. Feign ignorance until whoever Moody really is makes his, or her, move. So, these ghosts, the spirits... they seem to have no Chain of Fate on their bodies. Would you know anything about this?"

"All we know is that souls who have passed away and are near a magically saturated area, like this castle for instance, tend to remain tethered to the location. They don't seem to run the risk of transforming into Hollows... but at the same time they don't really pass on to the afterlife unless they want to. It actually is a bit puzzling even to the SR&D Tech in Avalon. Without Chains of Fate they should have Hollowfied, but yet they're not... they still recall their human memories, and wizards and witches can see and interact with them, but normal pluses without any sort of spiritual awareness can't."

Gin nods, gets up and returns to the Staff Table where he sits next to Byakuya who was calmly enjoying his morning breakfast just as the first trace of students start entering the hall, soon with Albus entering from a side entrance. The old man smiles, bidding a good morning to Byakuya, and Byakuya just nods politely sipping his green tea. Plates appeared like magic and breakfast of all kinds popped up for the early students. Harry and Hermione construct themselves a healthy-enough breakfast of meats, eggs, and flapjacks. They didn't like the taste of this pumpkin juice so they managed to find a pitcher full of iced water and another that had orange juice.

"So, Hermione, what do you think about this place?"

"It is very interesting, captain. I'm actually glad I got that book from Diagon Alley."

"Ah, _Hogwarts: A History_..."

She lowered her voice down to a whisper. "Even though Merlin could tell us everything about this school, it'll be fun to see what a book has about it."

If there was one thing Hermione enjoyed, it was reading. When they were alive, she always loved books.

"I have this book that I found amongst the collection we borrowed from that book shop."

And by borrowed, she really meant just take. No one even noticed. Of course who can't when you were a spirit-based form? The book Hermione took out was a book that detailed _Dark Lords and Dark Ladies: The Rise and Fall in Wizarding History_. And she opened it to a page where it depicted the Dark Lord Voldemort, although the book's publisher used terms such as "You Know Who" or "He Who Must Not Be Named". They read through the passages depicting Voldemort's tyranny, until the end where it mentioned how his fall was still investigated. All that anyone knew was that he, Harry Potter, had somehow survived the Killing Curse which somehow ended the Dark Lord's life. A small comment by Dumbledore written in the book spoke of his mother's sacrifice that protected him from Voldemort's evil touch.

"Really?"

"Possibly. Magic is a force that is just as mysterious as spirit energy. You'd never know what it can do, and we're magical, captain."

"Yeah..."

She closed the book and puts it away into her backpack as the couple return to their breakfast. By 7:00, the Great Hall was filled with the normal students from Hogwarts enjoying breakfast. Many however were just staring at Harry as he and Hermione were reading some of the magic tomes they brought with them. Among the starring were two men who made promises to James and Lily that they would take care and protect their son should they ever pass away. And now... their godson was here...

He had been taken by a man who showed their godson compassion when apparently he was in the streets of Japan of all places, along with the girl who the Japanese noble said were in an active relationship.

"He looks just like James, Remus..."

"Yeah but his hair isn't that messy quality that Lily loved in James when we were teens."

Sirius and Remus were DADA Professors at the school. While Remus took the students Years 1 to 4, Sirius had the students in Years 5 to 7. Before Sirius was freed and proven innocent, the school had to make do with various teachers each year due to the "curse" on the DADA profession. However after much study and a couple of years, three Unspeakables have managed to shatter the curse on the position before the start of the school year in 1993. Dumbledore was able to hire permanent teachers, and thus, brought Sirius and Remus, as both were trained Aurors during the war.

Another reason was that Dumbledore never liked the whole crap that happened when he foolishly hired Gilderoy Lockhart when the Chamber of Secrets things sprung up again. Let's just say the fraud was still a wanted wizard in several countries for his abuse of the Memory Charm, as well as rape of minors when several girls were discovered to have been memory charmed, and shown previous signs of rape. And of course regarding said Chamber of Secrets; a student named Ginny Weasley came across a diary when she first entered Hogwarts. Turned out to be the Horcrux, one of many the Grim Reapers have been seeking out for destruction.

Neville Longbottom wasn't much of a brave child in his first year but making friends; he's gotten stronger and stood up more for himself. He was the reason, after Gilderoy ran for his life after his "crimes" were uncovered, that Ginny was still alive today. The boy bravely entered the Chamber of Secrets because the entrance was not closed up, and thanks to a phoenix and a talking hat, the Sword of Gryffindor slays the Basilisk, and also destroys the Horcrux-riddled diary and saving Ginny from having her life force fully drained by the evil spirit. And no, Neville does not have the ability to speak to snakes.

And of course before the episode entitled Lockhart, there was the episode entitled Quirrel. The wizard scared of his own shadow and stutters a lot. He was really a forced servant of the Dark Lord's spirit, living as a parasite in the man's head. He heard of the stone and infiltrated the school using Quirrel. However he was thwarted near the final month before Hogwarts was let out by Dumbledore. He fled to safety wailing and screeching, but Quirrel died because Voldemort had fed on the man's magical core and his spiritual energy... like a Hollow...

Oh, and nothing much happened in 1993 aside a mentioned-in-papers wizard hunt for Peter Pettigrew, AKA Wormtail.

Sirius and Remus continue to stare at Harry.

"So... how do we introduce ourselves to our godson?"

"Tomorrow is the weekend, so we can invite him to our office," Remus told Sirius.

Sirius nods. "I guess that sounds good. Although I wonder what kind of magic Harry has been learning these past few years...?"

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger... May I speak with you two privately, please?" McGonagall requests politely.

The teens look to each other. Putting their books away into their bags, they stand up and follow the professor into a side room out of earshot of all the students. Gin just stares at their retreating backs.

"Is there something you require, Professor?"

Minerva looks to the two teens.

"Yes. Since you two have been... accepted into our school, late as it is, there is the matter of the schedules and the courses you feel most would be accepting to attend. Of course your parental guardian has informed the Headmaster that you are well educated in all subjects that are taught here at Hogwarts, and several others not heard of at least within England."

She hands them a list and they quickly look over. Taking out one of her blue pens, she circles some of the subjects they would be willing to take while they were enrolled at the school. After a minute of looking, and circling choice subjects, Minerva was handed back the list.

"Choices that we circled we will take this semester, Professor," Hermione informed the woman. The following subjects the woman noted were: Transfiguration, Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, History of Magic, Arithmancy, and Study of Ancient Runes.

"We have masteries in Potions in Japan and America so we won't be taking that class. We've handled plants both mundane and magical in Japan. Flying is pretty much something we've learned but don't use brooms much. The other subjects do not interest us."

Minerva nods once.

"Of course. I will devise a time schedule with these choice subjects."

The couple leaves the side room and return to the Great Hall, where they walk by everyone and take their seats next to Gin and Byakuya.

"So, what was that about?"

"Scheduling for classes we have selected to check out for the year, Gin-sensei," Hermione tells the man.

"I will like to look it over when you receive them so we can make alterations for our magical scheduling. I still have plenty more classes to personally teach you," Gin tells the two.

The two simply nod. The bell tolls, signaling class was beginning soon. All Hogwarts students leave with friends, heading off to their classes along with the professors. Harry noted two men were giving him strange looks as they were exiting the Great Hall.

Harry switches to Japanese.

"Byakuya, nani o suru tsumoridesu ka?"

"Watashi wa furagumento-tachi no kari o kaishi shimasu. Wareware wa kare no seishin-tekina enerugī ga pikkuappu sa reta toki ni subete no sorera no toshimae ni kenkyūsha ni yotte bunseki sa reta enerugī no shomei o motte iru. Umaku ikeba, shomei wa furagumento o daun motomeru tasuke ni naru koto ga dekimasu."

"Chūi shite kudasai. Watashi wa, karera wa, ōpun no mama ni suru koto janai ka. Ankoku kyō ga osoraku kare no kichōna tamashī no danpen o hogo suru tame ni kyōryokuna bōgyo o oka rete itadarou."

The man nods, and makes for the exit. Minerva stares at Byakuya as he quietly walks by her, as the old woman hurries up to the two teenagers. "Here are your schedules for the year, Mr. Potter and Miss Granger. I also made directions so you can get to your classes. Of course you can also ask for help from our fellow students, Prefects, or this year's Head Students." She hands them each two sheets of parchment that details their times and classes, and directions on the second parchment to get to those classes.

"Oh, and Harry, Hermione, Byakuya had told me that while being sorted into a house is mandatory, we are visitors for the year and it's still up to debate if we would return next year. So technically, you two have no partnership with any of these four houses the school has."

"Sure, sensei," they acknowledge.

"But, it doesn't mean you shouldn't try and make friends," the man said with his smile, standing up from his seat.

The bell tolls, signaling class has begun.

Professor McGonagall looks to the two students, her eyes lingering on James and Lily's son. "Follow me. Your first class is Transfiguration and I'll have you join my fourth year class. I'll also be testing you to see how well your skills are."

They nod. "Of course, professor..."

=0=0=0=

The classes were interesting.

Harry and Hermione pretty much sat with their fellow peers their age (roughly four years and fifth years). The professors for each class they took were informed they would be joining the class and were tested in their skills along with the lessons they were learning. They proved to be great students. Almost Ravenclaw material if they were properly sorted. Professor Babbling was really astounded by the level of knowledge her two new students in her Runes class held.

Frankly, Harry was glad this day was ending soon; he couldn't take all the unwanted attention from all of these people left and right trying to get autographs from him, a few girls wanting to seduce him (much to the chargin of his lieutenant who wanted to kill all the hussies that wanted to "shag him silly"), to some freak kid with a camera always taking pictures of him and doesn't knowing of the term personal space.

There were some instances where some "purebloods" believed he was better than him, but did not stoop to their weak bullying tactics. One of these bullies was some brat named Draco Malfoy, who flaunts his wealth and acts like he was a king. Then there's another kid with red hair who always picked fights with the Malfoy kid, slinging insults and such at the boy, and tried to convince him and Hermione that all Slytherins were "evil vile gits".

Throughout the day students of legal age who felt they were capable of entering the magical tournament being held written their names down, and entered them into the Goblet. The old Auror, Alastor Moody, has kept watch over the twenty four hours the goblet was open for of-age students to enter their names. Two pranksters named Fred and George tried to sneak past the Age Line written around the goblet by the use of some aging potion, but failed and grew beards as long as Dumbledore's as a light punishment (which just made it more funny because Dumbledore saw it, and complimented the boys on having "such wonderful beards").

Throughout the whole day, Harry and Hermione have gone nowhere NEAR the goblet. Their time was spent learning Japanese Kido from Gin (in private) when they had free time outside class.

But the time has arrived.

Everyone was in the Great Hall, waiting to see who would represent their schools in a game of eternal glory. With the Gryffindors Hermione and Harry sat together, and Gin was standing behind the teens. Byakuya was close by remaining quiet over the commotion carried on by the students. After this crap was over, they could retreat away from the general public and just rest their Gigai while their spirit forms go hunting for hidden Horcruxes.

"Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision," Dumbledore called out to the Great Hall, the commotion of voices dying down to hear the announcement, "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber."

Dumbledore pointed to the door that he indicated that was at the side of the staff table.

"There the champions will receive further instructions," Dumbledore finished as he took out his wand and gave a great sweeping wave with it; at once, all the candles in the Great Hall except for those around the Goblet of Fire extinguished into darkness.

The blue flame of the Goblet started to shine more brightly than anything else in the hall; its blue-whiteness became almost painful to the eyes of those who were closest to it. Even with that pain, all eyes were watching and waiting. And just when it seemed that one second stretched out, the flames inside the goblet turned red, sparks began to fly from it like some great firework display. The next moment, a tongue of red flame shot out into the air, flinging a charred piece of parchment like a discarded watermelon seed. Then like a feather, the parchment fluttered down, the whole room gasped as Dumbledore caught it and he held it out at arm's length so that his nearsighted eyes could see the name. As he was reading the name, the flames of the Goblet turned back into their original bluish-white.

"The Champion for Durmstrang," He read aloud, his voice strong and clear, "will be... Victor Krum!"

"No surprise there!" someone shouted out, that was followed by a great wave of applause that swept through the hall like a tsunami of sound.

Victor Krum rose from the Slytherin table and slouched up towards Dumbledore; he turned right, walked along the staff table and slid through the door into the next chamber.

"Bravo, Victor!" Karkaroff boomed in such a loud voice that he could be heard over the noise and din of applause.

The clapping and chatting died down instantly as everyone in the Great Hall waited in anticipation to see what name would be spit from the goblets flames. Seconds later after attention had been focused upon it, the blue-white flames turned red again, and the tongue of fire spat out another charred piece of parchment. This time, Dumbledore's reactions were quicker as the parchment was just over his head as he reached up to catch it.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," Dumbledore read, "is... Fleur Delacour!"

The girl who looked so much like a runway model got up from her table so gracefully that it appeared as if it were a dance. She shook back her sheet of silvery blonde hair and swept her way between the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff tables.

"They look so disappointed," Gin laughed looking at all those of the Beauxbatons party. Byakuya was as quiet as ever, calmly watching the proceedings. When Harry and Hermione looked at them, disappointed would have been a grand understatement since two of the girls from Beauxbatons had burst into tears, sobbing into their hands, and covering their faces in shame. It was as if this singular moment was what was built up in their mind to be the end all and be all of human existence. Then to have it taken away was the most devastating news that they could hear.

The moment Fleur Delacour had vanished into the next room the silence came quickly over the Great Hall when the students were waiting to hear who the champion of Hogwarts would be. The tension was so close and so thick that it could be tasted and cut with a steak knife. Once again, the Goblet of Fire turned red and once more it flung out the third piece of charred parchment and Dumbledore caught it like a Seeker catching the Golden Snitch.

"The Hogwarts Champion," he called, "is... Cedric Diggory!"

"No!" The boy named Ron Weasley cried loudly, but nobody heard him; the uproar from the next table was too great for anyone else to hear. Every single Hufflepuff where Cedric sat rose to their feet cheering, screaming, and stamping as Cedric made his way past them, grinning broadly, and headed off to the next chamber with Krum and Fleur. The applause that was there for Cedric went on for what must have been two minutes before Dumbledore could make himself heard again.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore called happily to the students. "Well, now we have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will continue in a very real-"

Dumbledore had stopped speaking, and it was apparent to everyone in the Great Hall what was distracting him. All eyes had turned back to the Goblet of Fire, whose flames were no longer bluish-white, they had turned red again. Sparks began to fly out of it once again as if it were an entity of its own telling Dumbledore in a very flamboyant way that it wasn't done speaking. This time a flame shot out of the tiny goblet that was so long that it reached the enchanted ceiling and bathed the entire hall in red light, an eerie scene straight out of Dante's vision of Hell itself. The flame shot back down into the goblet but from the ceiling there was another piece of parchment. Automatically, Dumbledore reached up to take the parchment to find out what the meaning of all this was, but he stared at it for a very long time. A pause that was so long that the students and staff were wondering what was written upon it.

Dumbledore then cleared his throat and read out the name, "Harry Potter."

Silence... Absolute silence...

Byakuya, Gin, and Hermione were tense. Harry was tense. They knew this magical tournament would be some sort of target by Voldemort or possibly his evil forces. However, they never thought something like THIS would happen. Many heads turned to the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry and Hermione looked out of place because while yes they wore the Hogwarts uniform as required (they received theirs from the Headmaster during the lunch period), they never partake to wearing the wizard robes. Gin looked out of place dressed casually in muggle clothing while Byakuya wore what he would call his "street clothes" and still looked much like a nobleman.

"Cazzo," Harry mutters aloud. If anybody in the Great Hall knew Italian, they'd know Harry just swore an expletive. That only person was a Slytherin student named Blaise Zabini.

It was a quiet, very quiet, walk to the chamber Dumbledore directed the three other champions of the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Hermione immediately followed him, along with Gin, and finally Byakuya whose eyes were narrowed in a glare as he passed by Dumbledore. The moment the door was closed with an audible slam, conversations and conspiracy theories broke out in the Great Hall amongst the students.

* * *

**Harry Potter is now in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and yet he is NOT really part of Hogwarts. The school is their cover whilst they hunt the Horcruxes. Of course there will be plenty of interaction with the school, with the characters, and even Sirius and Remus. The next chapter is the fallout of Harry being entered into the tournament.  
**

**Witness Gin smooth talk his way in this encounter...**


	4. Chapter 3

**Avalon's Grim Reapers**

**Disclaimer:** J.K Rowling is the owner of the world of Harry Potter and all its official characters. Bloomsbury and Scholastic have ownership in terms of book publishing world-wide, and Warner Bros. on the movie adaptations of all seven Harry Potter books. Tite Kubo is the author of the popular manga/anime series and has complete ownership of all official Bleach characters.

* * *

Fleur, Cedric, and Krum heard the doors open and were puzzled to see Harry Potter enter the room with his muggleborn friend, and the two adults they were with. The air was feeling a bit... strange... because Byakuya was a bit angry over this strange twist of events brought before them. SLAM goes the door.

"Do they want us back outside?" Cedric asks the four.

They remained silent, as Harry found the single person couch between Cedric and Fleur and sat down in the plush emerald seat. Hermione slid by them, and she sits down in his lap in a rather adulterous position.

"Harry, Hermione, do remember this is not a bedroom," Gin teased.

The couple gave Gin the middle finger. The man simply laughs off their single digit salutes. Byakuya never does things out of character. But here, he does briefly roll his eyes. The door opened and the man steps out of the path as Dumbledore, Crouch, McGonagall, Moody, Sirius, Remus, Bagman, Maxime, Karkaroff, and Snape walk in. The room thankfully was big so it was able to support all these characters.

"Albus... my charges, specifically Harry, have only been here a day, and somehow... his name was called out." Byakuya draws his zanpakutō from his side, the light in the room glinting off the shiny blade. "So give me one reason why I should not take this slight against the honor of my clan, and gut you where you stand."

Wands were pointed at him because the tip of the zanpakutō was under Dumbledore's throat. Gin places a hand on his arm.

"Calm down, Byakuya. I myself would like to know how this has occurred."

"Vat has occurred?" Krum's thick accent broke the silence.

"Apparently, my name popped out of the flaming cup of destiny and I am now part of the Triwizard Tournament," Harry answered the Quidditch player.

"Yes, Harry Potter is our Fourth Triwizard Champion," Bagman announced.

"What? But 'e iz just ze little boy," Fleur yelled.

"Listen, you French shank, my lover is anything but little. I should know whenever he makes passionate love to me at night," Hermione sneers at the French tart.

"Hermione, enough!" Byakuya's voice cut through the air, commanding and hard.

Hermione closed her mouth and stays quiet, while the Veela girl wanted nothing more than to strike her for the insult. But the tone in the noble man's voice was frightening. It carried a veiled threat. And if the blade he drew was anything to look at, it was not just for decoration.

"Why don't everyone just calm down, and then we can get some things straightened up here," Gin said.

Dumbledore rubbed his throat as Byakuya swiftly sheathed his weapon, and felt relieved he felt no broken skin or even a hint of blood. Since the danger had apparently passed, everyone else lowered their wands although Moody kept glaring at Byakuya.

"Harry, did you put your name in the Goblet of Fire?" Dumbledore questions the green-eyed wizard.

"No," he answered, looking directly into the man's eyes.

"Did you ask someone else to put it in for you?" He asks the next question.

Again, Harry responds with, "No."

"But of course 'e iz lying," said Madam Maxime.

"I suggest you think carefully when you open your mouth again before you insult not only my charge, Madam Maxine, but the honor of the House of Kuchiki," Byakuya warned the half-giant woman, who turns her glare on Byakuya. But our favorite Shinigami did not feel threatened by her glare. He merely increases the intensity of his glare until the woman backs down and looks away from his cold eyes.

"If there is anything about Harry, he is not a liar. Neither is his girlfriend Hermione. For that matter, we have only been here one day, and suddenly we get this garbage thrown at us. Byakuya had told me of what was going on. I'm sure you recall Albus when you wanted to speak with Byakuya in private?" Gin glances at everyone. "All Hogwarts Professors whom have had Harry and Hermione in their class today will be able to fully give honest alibis on his whereabouts, while I can tell you on their free period I continued my previous lessons on intermediate-class Japanese magic and runes. My students have never gone anywhere near your flaming wood cup, nor have they gone to any student in this school, or the other two schools, to put his name in the flaming cup."

Gin reaches into his coat he was wearing and takes out paper, not parchment.

"We do not use parchment. We use muggle paper. We do not use quills; we use muggle pencils and pens. Frankly the use of parchment for us is to be used only for ceremonies or important documents, not every day things. And finally... this is Harry's signature. Harry is left-handed. Albus, do you still have that little strip of parchment that we never used?"

Dumbledore reached into his robes and took out the strip of parchment. It was snatched from his hand and Gin peers closely on the paper, and then hands it to Byakuya.

"The signature is right-handed, and written in different sizes. Byakuya?"

"Gin is correct. This is not Harry's signature. Someone has forced my charge into a binding contract, and I intend to find out whom..."

"This is ridiculous! You could have planted the whole thing," said the greasy-haired man.

"Shut up Snivelious. What are you even doing here, anyway," Sirius questioned Snape.

"Enough!" Dumbledore raised his voice, silencing the two men before their bickering would continue.

"This is an outrage, Dumbledore! I refuse to see reason of this slight against our school! You have two champions for Hogwarts!" Karkaroff yelled.

"Sadly, Harry AND Hermione have not been sorted into Hogwarts, so technically they are NOT with Hogwarts. We are basically outsiders that have enrolled late into the school year," Gin informed Karkaroff calmly. The smile of his turned a bit sinister. "Of course... is there a problem to this? After all, I have read all the books about my best student. Harry James Potter, instantly famous because your country's loser Dark Lord couldn't even kill a defenseless one year old baby, and famous simply on the fact that he had survived the Killing Curse... How pathetic must this fucker be, really, to die by his own Killing Curse?"

There were gasps from our British, French, and Bulgarian magicals at how blasé Gin mocked Voldemort. Yes, Gin mocked the Dark Lord Voldemort, a dark wizard whom the majority of Wizarding Europe are too frightened to say his name (except Dumbledore).

"If anything, none of this wouldn't have happened if we had come early, arrived before school started, or have arrived very late likely after this choosing of the champions fiasco. If so, would we even be here talking about this?" Gin questions them all. "No. But if the Death Eater attack was anything to go by after the ending of the Quidditch World Cup a couple months back, it only means for some reason, SOMEONE in this school has connects to the Death Eaters and decide to manipulate this tournament. I know the asshole's followers are out there. What better way to hijack this tournament than by entering my student against his will to face tasks that would end his life? Avenge the Dark Lord for the slight Harry caused him by simply surviving the Killing Curse."

Byakuya glares at Dumbledore and everyone else. "And if we figure out who in this school has done this against my charge, I guarantee you that the perpetrator or perpetrators will face justice for the attack upon the Kuchiki Clan. After all, in case you forgot: Harry Potter and Hermione Granger are adopted members of my clan. The Kuchiki take attacks on our family VERY seriously..."

Byakuya turns his attention to Bagman and Crouch.

"Just tell us what this First Task is so I and my charges can retire for the night."

Gin's smile turns upon the two men. They were freaked out by the smile. It was anything but warm.

Crouch's voice brought everyone to attention. "The first task is designed to test your daring, so we are not going to be telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality in a wizard or witch... very important... The first task will take place on November the twenty-fourth, in front of the other students and the panel of judges."

"I assume that because of what has occurred, you will allow me to be part of this panel of judges, correct?" Byakuya requests, and the look he gave the adults said that it was not a polite way of asking; he was going to join the panel.

"Anyway," Crouch continued, "The champions are not permitted to ask for or accept help of any kind from their school teachers to complete the tasks in the tournament. The champions will face the first challenge armed only with their wands and their skills. They will receive information about the second task when the first is over. Also, due to the demanding and time-consuming nature of the tournament, the champions are exempted from end-of-year tests from their fellow schools."

Byakuya casts one last look upon the adults, before opening the door and stepping out. The Great Hall was still filled with the students, and the Goblet of Fire was now missing. Likely it had been put away and locked up.

Gin glances to Harry as the teens follow after him. "Harry, since this mess has unexpectedly been thrown onto our laps, you will do everything in your power to survive this attempted assassination on your life, understand?"

Harry knew what Gin was doing. "Sure thing, sensei."

"You know what a binding contract does and how it works, Harry, Hermione," he says, loud enough so that the silent students can hear this conversation. "If you back out, the contract will take the breech in check and then activate the penalty resulting in your loss of life. And quite frankly, these Death Eaters are pathetic trying to tamper with this tournament and trying to kill you in this manner."

"I know sensei. Wouldn't be the first time we've come across shit like this. I do recall Mallet Island and the crap that happened there."

Gin smiles. No, he doesn't know what happened at this Mallet Island. But the wizards don't know that. Twisting the story, as they make their exit... Makes people come up with what happened. Rumors... Conspiracies... It should be fun to see what crazy things the imagination can come up.

"Good. You will embarrass your world-be assassins by surviving their death trap."

They exit the Great Hall together. Dumbledore couldn't help but frown. What happened at this Mallet Island that Harry Potter mentioned? Have they encountered binding contracts before to know what would happen if one breeches it?

=0=0=0=

"So, we're all in agreement: since my arrival, whoever this mystery man is pretending to be Moody informed Voldemort I have appeared, and they decide to hijack the tournament to try and kill me in any of the tasks, or use it for some bigger unknown plot."

"Yes. It will be tough from here on out regarding our original mission in the destruction of these Horcruxes," said Byakuya.

Suddenly, Byakuya and Gin's Soul Pagers beeped, as did Harry and Hermione's version of the Soul Pager.

The Japanese take theirs out, as Hermione looks at the devices.

"I think Avalon should make our pages thinner. I feel jealous," said Harry.

Gin smiles.

"There's Hollows nearby," Byakuya reported.

"Hm... Hermione and I will take care of the hollows. You two can join if you wish," said Harry, exiting his Gigai along with Hermione. The AIs moved the bodies to their shared bedroom and closed the door.

"I believe I will join you in this hunt," Byakuya tells the green-eyed reaper, as he exits from his Gigai.

"I'll just stay here and... I guess read the papers I took from a kid today," said Gin.

The three reapers leave in bursts of Shunpo. Gin walks over to the coffee table and picks up the wizarding papers he had "borrowed" from a student in Slytherin and opens it up. He is amused by the strange articles the wizards can write.

=0=0=0=

Far from Hogwarts, is the location known as Stonehenge. It is this place where Byakuya, Harry, and Hermione finally arrive just in time to see Hollows exit from holes in the air. They were bipedal in nature and have monster-like features. One looked like Ganon in his monster pig form with spines, tusks, and a hole through its bloated stomach. One was thin and tall, but with enlarged arms, large feet, and a large bird-like bone mask on its elongated neck. And one resembled a humanoid shark that crossbred with a monkey.

"So, quick and easy or lengthen a fight, Hermione?"

"No playing around, Harry. Don't forget what Stonehenge represents to the world of magic," Hermione tells her captain, drawing her Soul Cutter.

Harry also draws his out. "Yeah I know."

The hollows finally noticed their presence. They waste no time firing Ceros at them as they jump at them. All three dodge and retaliate. The blades cut through their defenses before they spread to dodge Cero attacks. A bit away, Hermione cupped her hands as she reappeared, mimicking Ryu's stance before a Hadoken attack. "Way of Destruction #7: Vis Tormento!" And she finishes the Hadoken stance by throwing forward a sphere of electricity that flew like a fast cannon ball, complete with the bang-like sound.

The electrical ball of energy strikes the shark monkey hollow and it collapsed, twitching violently from the electricity tearing through its nerves. Hermione positioned her Soul Cutter in a reverse grip and rears back whilst crouching a bit. The hollow manages to regain movement and channels a Cero. When the build-up was finished, the Cero was fired. Suddenly her eyes snap open and she swung, calling out her attack.

"Speed Star Cutter!" The shape was star-like, spinning and it sliced through the Cero creating the explosion. The attack held steady and struck the hollow.

Byakuya was dancing around the pig hollow's bone-made weapon, easily blocking its claw-like trident with his zanpakutō with little effort. "The Winds that Glide Take Spread your Wings, Swiftness Great Take Heed of Storm! Small Spheres, Four Points, Spiral Shield, Great Force, Undercurrent Tears, Rip Asunder from North to West! Way of Destruction #40: Icircumflex Sauciatio!"

Harry's attack took the form of a powerful wave of spiritual energy that he unleashed from a powerful overhead slash of his Soul Cutter. Byakuya detected the attack and Shunpos away as the energy tore through the air like a radiant wave of greenish light, ripping apart the large pig-like hollow with its trident-like weapon made of bone. That was a powerful Kido spell, indeed, and Harry backed up to avoid a Cero from the lanky hollow that tried to take advantage. It kept flying forward, but Byakuya moved in and blocked the Cero with Dankū. The block was followed by the Byakurai spell which struck down the lanky hollow blowing one of its knees.

"Harry, let's try some of the Japanese Kido Gin taught us," Hermione yelled over to her captain, dashing through the physical attacks by her target.

"Better time as any," Harry replies, dashing off to the side to avoid the arms of the lanky hollow, striking with precise cuts. "Kunrinsha yo! Chiniku no kamen, banshō, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo!" The hollow tried to interfere but Harry moved quickly out of its Cero blast, while keeping concentration, "Shinri to sessei, tsumi shirame yume no kabe ni wazuka ni tsume o tate yo! Hadō #33: Sōkatsui!"

The blue blast of fiery energy was similar to Ignis Rubrum Fluito; of course Sōkatsui was more about force and energy while Ignis Rubrum Fluito was more on speed and expanding the damage in a spread radius. The monster's cries filled the air with its pain.

"Bastard!" the hollow roars, firing another Cero which Harry barely dodged in time. He moved in and his blade clashed with the monster's claws.

Meanwhile, Hermione smiled as her use of the Way of Binding #22 trapped the shark/monkey hollow after she had cut off its tail and left arm with another Speed Star Cutter. She holds her hand out and aims. "Kunrinsha yo! Chiniku no kamen, banshō, habataki, hito no na o kansu mono yo! Shōnetsu to sōran, umihedate sakamaki minami e to ho o susume yo! Hadō #31: Shakkahō!" The sphere of red energy shoots and strikes the hollow, cracking the mask. She finished it off with a powerful speed slash attack of her Soul Cutter.

On the other side of Stonehenge, Byakuya moved out of a cero which destroyed one of the stone blocks. Harry flew in, channeling energy into his next spell. "Way of Destruction #20: Smaragdus-Mico Pallidus Alae!" Lemon-shaped spheres of energy colored emerald surrounded Harry, before all seven energy blasts shoot off like gunshots when he thrusts his hand forward. The attack impacts the hollow as it defends itself with its armored arms. Byakuya emerged through the smoke when the hollow thought the attack ended, and got cleaved through the mask and half the body. It disintegrated.

"Well, all hollows are gone."

"Good. Should we return back to-"

The air turned freezing cold, and on some surfaces, actual frost was forming. Harry and Hermione froze a bit at the dark emotions bring drug out of their souls, and even Byakuya was tense and holding onto his zanpakutō tightly.

"What is this... dark feeling in the air?" Byakuya whispered.

"Dementors," Harry said, as if it was a damning word.

"Dementors... they are dark creatures, Byakuya," Hermione explained, gripping her blade tightly. "No one truly knows how they came into existence. They are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, they glory in decay and despair, and they drain peace, hope, and happiness out of the air around them."

From the clouding skies, flowing rags can be seen. These were Dementors. Often, it is said that Dementors are the true version of a zombie brought back to life if zombies can float and glide in the air. They wear robes that are torn, ripped, and decaying to the touch, their actual bodies a decaying rotted skeleton with molting flesh.

"Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling and every happy memory will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself; soulless and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life."

"How come these things exist? Soul Society too has heard of these foul creatures but nothing we've done can truly destroy their numbers." Byakuya was glaring at these corpses that were trying to dig up his bad memories, trying to disorient him.

"No one knows. The Association's few goals are the destruction of these things. They perverse life itself with the way they act just like Hollows when they eat the souls of humans."

Byakuya agreed on that. Any creature that would enjoy feeding on the souls of humans or the souls of any living thing was a threat to the balance of life. More and more Dementors were appearing, a rather large horde. They finally stopped swarming the skies with their darkness, and were ready to attack judging by the way they were exhaling rattling moans that chill you to your bones.

"I think we should go into First Awakening to protect ourselves from these demons. Churn the Seas and Heavens, Hurricane Blossom!"

Hermione's Soul Cutter was expertly spun before the weapon changes form bathed under a bright white light. The form expands and extends, forming a golden three-bladed trident that forms the shape of a diamond. From the base of the weapon head, four sharpened hook prongs take shape and blossom out from a silver bracelet ring, each prong releasing sprays of water and generating gusts of sharp wind. The pole was a magnificent cerulean color with gold highlights running down the spear. The bottom of the trident has a small marble-sized red crystal with a black curved dagger with silver edge, and navy horsetail tassel around its end. The silver prongs on the weapon spins slowly like a drill generating the wind, and a ripping force of water surrounding her body.

"Graceful Wind Surge and Holy Phoenix Scream, Heavenly Light Shine and Great Beauty Strike, Blessed Green Princess!"

And Harry followed Hermione in First Awakening. The couple gathered their spiritual pressure and channeling it into a powerful aura to scare off the flying demons, generating actual wind before the buffeting forces extinguish with a flash. But in that flash, the two Grim Reapers charge forward, cutting through the horde of Dementors with brutal swiftness. The cuts of a scythe tear through the demons, water crushes the flying corpses and sharp wind cutters take off rotted body parts. Frankly, Harry and Hermione were not going to allow the demons any upper hand on them.

His zanpakutō is drawn once again, and he opens his eyes, also generating spiritual pressure. "Chire, Senbonzakura." Byakuya joins the fray, shredding through the soul-devouring demons with his thousands of sharp blossom petals.

In no time, the Dementors were torn apart because they were unable to block the spiritual attacks released by the reapers in their First Awakening/Shikai. All the devoured souls the Dementors have "kissed" over the years were released. The demons were a dangerous creature that shouldn't even exist in the human world, and yet the British wizards have (limited) control on these abominations.

It was one of Avalon's main life missions: the destruction of the Demi-Hollows known as Dementors. Byakuya seals his Zanpakutō and steps back, allowing Captain Potter and Lieutenant Granger to perform Soul Burials on the freed souls. Only a few handfuls of the souls found themselves taken into Hell because of weighted sins. The rest of the souls were innocents finally given an afterlife.

"Damn... those things are a god damn bother all the time," Harry mutters, as the last soul, a child no less, was sent off to heaven. He really hates Dementors. "We need to leave and fast. The wizards keep track of these creatures and will investigate as to how a number of them would leave their hellish Nazi-like prison Azkaban for no reason."

The three disappear. Just in time because trained Hit-Wizards appeared with a number of senior Aurors. All they are greeted to is light destruction of the ground around and inside the area that is Stonehenge.

Now here are some things to think of: It is said that Dementors can't be destroyed. There are some spells that can deter them away, and one actual spell to repel them with the use of high positive emotions.

Of course, Shinigami, Death Gods, Grim Reapers, whatever you call the warriors of the afterlife, can destroy a Dementor when you can overcome their blackening auras threatening to crush your spiritual energy.

But no matter what, Dementors seem to breed and slowly replenish their numbers...

=0=0=0=

Gin looks up from reading the wizarding papers, smiling that foxy smile of his.

"Well, you've returned. How was it?"

"We got attacked by Dementors, Gin," Harry tells the silver-haired man.

Gin's smile went away.

"Oh dear... that must be an unpleasant experience, Captain Potter."

"The hollow was purified, but they arrived in ice-forming flocks. We destroyed them all and freed all the souls those demons have devoured over the years. Only a few got invited into hell for heavy sins."

"Well, another day's work done. No one was hurt, right?"

He attempts to smile, as the three enter their Gigai again. Byakuya immediately retreats to his personal quarters for something.

"So, what have you been doing, Gin?" Hermione questions the silver-haired man.

"Just reading the wizard papers. I found an article on you Harry... this Rita Skeeter person really is vicious with that pen of hers."

"Quill. They use quills here." Gin's smile doesn't go away. "Doesn't matter, Gin. From what I have heard those papers is just the public mouth of the corrupt Ministry of Magic. They practically control what the Daily Prophet writes and don't write. Just a shitty gossip rag for their prejudicial views..."

Harry silently asks for the papers, and Gin hands them over to the teen. Harry briefly looks through, before he finds the article from this Rita Skeeter person.

**_The Boy-Who-Lived Returns!_**

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Missing for eight years, the Boy-Who-Lived finally returned at the pinnacle moment Hogwarts is visited by our international guests from Bulgaria and France. He did not arrive alone. Rumors say Mr. Potter has been picked up by a noble Japanese clan along with a muggleborn witch, and all this time have been living in Japan, miles away from Europe's shores._

_Some say this Kuchiki Clan has simply kidnapped Mr. Potter, others theorize that accidental magic had an act in this. No one is sure. All that we know readers is that legally (under Japanese muggle and wizarding law) Harry Potter and the muggleborn witch, a Miss Hermione Granger, are under protection of the Kuchiki Clan, with a Mister Byakuya Kuchiki as their parental guardian. When I questioned our Chief Warlock Albus Dumbledore, he simply stated Mister Byakuya Kuchiki is legally Harry Potter's guardian in both worlds._

_What I wish to know is how has Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived, been living this entire time? Who is he really? Is he anything like the famous Harry Potter stories of his adventures across the world? I hope to one day get an exclusive interview with Mister Potter and his companions and discover the truth!_

"I don't know who this Skeeter person is, but this bitch just reported that people believe your clan kidnapped me."

Byakuya, who had returned with what he was looking for, grabbed the papers. His glare increased..

"Well, we knew we'd get attention but damn... sometimes I wish I was a normal person." Harry grunted as he sat down.

"You're not normal, captain... you're a powerful Grim Reaper that can kick arse," Hermione stated.

Byakuya tosses the papers on the table. "Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do really about this. So long as our cover isn't blown... We'll just let them think whatever they want. Although... I will have to keep up these charades in their view."

"Right... You have the Memory Configuration Device, Hermione?"

"Yup, safely stored away," she reported.

"We have a similar device of our own," said Gin.

"Good. So, Byakuya, about that energy signature on Riddle...?"

Hermione gave the thumbs up, as the runes were settled in, preventing anybody outside from spying in.

"This is the signature that we have analyzed those years ago when the spike was registered," Byakuya informs the group as he takes out a soul computer, and opens it up. The monitor displays various windows and Japanese script. One window is enlarged, revealing the energy signature. It gave a detailed highlight of what and how Tom Riddle's spirit energy was like.

"Hm... this looks like the faint echo."

"Echo?"

"Yeah, Gin. I noticed two of the men inside that side chamber place, emanated from the arms. The Karkaroff guy, and the man with the greasy hair, Snape," Harry said.

He secretly analyzed the energy he felt off the men using a small device that was a hidden feature of his watch that he was wearing. He takes out something from the watch on his wrist and inserts a chip into a slot he found on the computer. New data pops up and displayed the spirit signature of the two men. There, below the main lines, was a faint one. Typing away on the keyboard, yet another window popped up and that faint signature has key points which match perfectly.

"See? Four of these points match these points on Riddle's actual signature. Is it possible he's imparting a bit of his spirit energy into his followers?"

Hermione looks up to the others. "Wait... I recall that the Death Eaters show their loyalty to Voldemort by taking something called the Dark Mark. Wizards and witches who support the Dark Lord and his views of blood purity are branded with them. No one knows what a Death Eater does to be accepted into the ranks... and as far as I know through research, no one has ever done any research or investigations into Riddle's Dark Marks."

"If anything, I imagine getting a Dark Mark means you have to do something that would likely stain your soul with enough sin to go to hell when you die," Gin theorized.

Byakuya crosses his arms over his chest. "You may be right on that theory. Something tells me that these Dark Marks are likely a representation of sin..."

Hermione closed her eyes, leaning back into the seat. "Alright, so about Riddle's signature; how do we work with this, Byakuya?"

"Right now, I need your soul pagers and install a small program the Research Institute in our Jūnibantai has created," Byakuya makes the request. The bulky cellphones were handed over and after awhile, cords were disconnected from the devices and handed back. "Much like how the scanners detect Hollows within the vicinity, it will also pick up on all other spectrum waves and infrareds. From what I remember, basically his signature will register much like sonar, a ping. We just narrow our search, and pinpoint the signature's direct location."

Harry checked through the "hidden options" on the pager, and blinks as it makes a ping.

"Hey, I got one!"

The others look up as Harry presses the pound button on the phone, and a small slot on the back of the device slides open revealing a small black crystal sphere. A 3D display appears on a holographic projection. The scanner makes another sweep, picturing half of the castle and converting it all into memory. A scrawl of text runs on an opening bar reporting that the scan was insufficient due to unknown dimensional projections detected. In other words, Hogwarts as a magical castle has corridors and passageways that seem to expand past normal boundary of the universe's laws of physics.

"Huh... the scan is a bit jumbled. Likely because this castle has so many twists and turns that seem to bypass through or overlap other passages. But that signature IS within the vicinity of this castle."

"Well, I have explored the castle while you were in classes, kids," Gin informed Harry and Hermione, "I've found a couple of secret passages here and there. I also can feel this strange feeling in the air."

"Well, there are rumors that when this castle was created, the magic that has been absorbed within the walls and in the very ground surrounding the building, it has a form of sentience. Not to mention the history is very rich when it comes to this facility, the many wizards and witches that have gone through this school, and the four founders that originally created the place."

"Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, Rowlena Ravenclaw, and Salazar Slytherin," Harry lists the names, "All were great magic users in their time, and all four had their own ideals and beliefs. And then they had died, they became Grim Reapers. Like in the Living World, they served well until Slytherin left Avalon and became a traitor to the Association. Like in his time alive, Slytherin had views that were vastly different from his other three companions of Hogwarts."

"Oh? What happened?" asks Gin.

"Well, the current history about Slytherin was that he did not wish for magic to be used by muggleborns in the Middle Ages during his time alive. The other three founders tried to make the man see reason overtime, creating a rift between them all. But soon after he got tired, and begun some sort of propaganda that exists today in British magical society; the views about purebloods being better than all other magicals, which as time went on only got twisted by the next generation of pureblood families. He was also the creator of his personal chambers somewhere underneath the castle.

"When all four died, they all became Grim Reapers. However that rift between them was still there. Somewhere along the way, Slytherin had abandoned the Association. This reason was that the Grim Reapers should only be filled with members of high quality families of the dead. Nobles... his version of nobles... He nearly led a war in Avalon that almost fractured the Association."

Hermione picks up the tale.

"The war almost broke out, but Merlin managed to quell those who were brainwashed by Slytherin, and punishing the very few who still took arms against the Association of that time. When Gryffindor encountered him, they fought and destroyed their battlefield, creating Spirit's Chasm. The chasm created a channel filled with mist, and the waters from within Avalon would feed out into the heaven's waters that surround our heaven. The fog, the mist, is thick with spiritual energy and no matter what the weather, it never fades.

"Some say it's the souls of the two men having left an imprint of their fearsome god-like battle, something beyond that of a Second Awakening, or Bankai to you Gin and Byakuya. But everyone who likes history takes that battle into lesson: prejudice destroys views. It only strives out chaos and sows destruction. Slytherin wasn't really that bad a guy. However, the way he thought, the views he believed, how he executed his beliefs, would have harmed more than done any good if he had succeeded."

Harry glances to the two Japanese men. "His pureblood views exist through the current generations of today, but in heaven, it's a lingering memory. There are still some purebloods who are Grim Reapers that still hang onto their views from when they died. All of us just continue to live on and do what we do: protect the World of the Living from Hollows, and help the departed souls off to heaven if clean, or hell if dirty."

"Interesting tale," comments Byakuya.

"And of course, history repeats itself. It is proven time and again. And Tom Riddle has firm beliefs in the way Slytherin thought on how to run the world of magic. Only his views are more destructive. Another way to end him before it's too late."

Gin interlaced his fingers as he leans forward.

"So, what are we going to do about the ping we had detected earlier?"

"I'll go and search for it," said Byakuya, standing up. "Harry, you need your rest because tomorrow, I imagine you will be faced with a lot of opposition from your peers."

Harry sighs. "Yeah."

Byakuya slips out of their room, and Gin closes the computer and stores it away. Hermione disables the runes before the couple head off to bed. Gin when he was absolutely sure he was alone, takes out his soul pager and dials in. After a few rings...

_"Gin. How are you?"_

"Oh, I am fine, Aizen. Captain Potter and Lieutenant Granger are interesting reapers. It's very interesting here in Europe."

_"Good. Do continue gathering information about that magic force that exists in the World of the Living. It could have some... advantages..."_

"Of course, Aizen."

And he snaps his soul pager shut.

* * *

**Well... that could have gone much better. But now Dumbledore and everyone else know that Harry Potter really is not what everyone expected him to be, and will soon learn how different he really is regarding magical prowess.**

**I almost forgot about the European version of Kido and translations so, here they are.**

Way of Destruction #7: Vis Tormento (Zap Cannon)

Way of Destruction #20: Smaragdus-Mico Pallidus Alae (Emerald Flash Pale Wing)

Way of Destruction #36: Ignis Rubrum Fluito (Red Fire Drift)

Way of Destruction #40: Icircumflex Sauciatio (Slash Wounding) – **Incantation:** The Winds that Glide Take Spread your Wings, Swiftness Great Take Heed of Storm! Small Spheres, Four Points, Spiral Shield, Great Force, Undercurrent Tears, Rip Asunder the Strings of Spirit!

Way of Binding #22: Exagoni-Virgam Levibusque Carcer (Hexagon Rod Light Shaft Prison) – **Incantation:** Respecting Hands Cleanse the Water, Graceful Beauty Dance the Twilight, Chains Bind the Chaos Burn, Let Forth the Rage, and Bottle the Paths!

* * *

**OMAKE TIME!**

It's 2001, and Hermione was in the World of the Living. Ever since Voldemort was killed early, his Death Eaters could not terrorize the Wizarding World and the Muggle World. When all Death Eaters felt their Dark Marks vanish, everyone knew that somehow, the Dark Lord was defeated and this time permanently. And he was burning in hell, his soul dragged down by chains and buried in the very under depths of the depths of hell, reserved for only the greatest of sinners. Right now, Hermione is in her gigai, and she wasn't alone.

"Big sis, are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Miranda," Hermione told her little sister.

Of course, she can't really be called little sister since Miranda is sixteen years old. She was not only a muggleborn witch attending Hogwarts, but she is also a Substitute Grim Reaper.

"Urahara is someone from Japan who can help us involving the hollow power that you apparently have."

"But aren't hollows generally a bad thing... I mean... what if I lose control again?"

She was scared. When she first became a Grim Reaper, she was borrowing all of her sister's boyfriend's power and even his Soul Cutter for a time. But then overtime a friend of her sister had helped her discover her inner powers, her true powers, that's when her Hollow side had exploded and nearly destroyed her had Hermione's friend not stop the corruption. But in the process, she unlocked her real power.

And now, since Harry was taken back to Avalon because he had illegally given his powers to a human, he was to face a criminal trial for his actions while Hermione was under investigation. Only a few friends she had was helping her from being discovered seeing her sister who has Grim Reaper powers. Someone within the Association was trying to usurp Avalon and destroy it from within. And she and Harry are in the thick of this mess.

"We're here."

It was an old building, one that most muggles would see the Leaky Cauldron as. Hermione led Miranda inside, where inside was a clean work area. Behind a desk was a man with a bucket-striped hat.

"Hello Kisuke, thanks for coming out here to England."

"Hello, Hermione. I was surprised when you sent me that message, but now I see why... so, this is your sister Miranda?"

"Yeah. Miranda, this is Kisuke Urahara. Technically, he is a wanted criminal in Soul Society for things beyond his control. Harry and I learned about what really happened and we have a partnership with him, and his associates."

"Hi," she waves shyly.

"And she's the one with hollow powers, huh? I must say the way you described it, I was interested."

"Her Chain of Fate was gone and she was hollowfying and we tried to stop it. She successfully hollowfied but then after a few minutes of a rampage, her hollow powers completely shattered away and she was yielding her own true inner powers and Soul Cutter."

Urahara nods. "I see... Well, I can help you with training. To make sure her hollow powers do not come forth and take control of her completely. In fact, it can be used as a sort of trump card while we deal with unlocking more of her inner powers and limits as time goes by."

"What do you mean, Mister Urahara?"

"Oh please, call me Kisuke. You see Miranda, I have some friends who are just like you, whom all have Soul Reaper powers, but also hollowfied and retained those hollow-like powers. You are what is known as a Visored, a Grim Reaper with Hollow powers. Now, I warn you, the training will be rough. If you even once believe yourself weak or lose your focus, you could very well die..."

He gave her a serious look.

"But, if successful, with your Grim Reaper powers, the power of your Hollow powers by summoning it in mask form can increase your power. So, are you ready?"

"Yes. Big sis said she will help me no matter what. I have to do this. Big sis's boyfriend is in danger of whoever this evil creep is that's trying to destroy Avalon. I want to help her and her friends!"

Urahara smiles fondly. "Very well then!"

Hermione smiled. "Thank you, Kisuke." Then her smile turns a bit more "friendly". "Now, about the other business..."

Urahara grins and he tosses a package he takes out from a box next to him. Hermione rips the packaging quick and she was giggling.

"Finally! I got a much better Soul Pager! Thanks Kisuke!" she fangirls.

Miranda blinked. "Wha...?"

Urahara just smiles and pops his favorite fan open. Miranda stares at her sister who was playing with all the options on the slimmer and more advanced Soul Pager. Hermione blinked, before reaching into her pockets for something... "Here sis, you can have this." And Miranda hesitantly accepts the old Soul Pager her sister once used in the 90s, the fat bulky Motorola Modar Pulsar DynaTAC.

"Uh... thanks?"

"Okay! Miranda, time for your training," said Urahara, snapping his fan shut, obviously ignoring what was unfolding before him. The black cat on the table with the yellow eyes swats its tail twice.


End file.
